Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Garlic Naan Pizza

I had a brilliant idea.

Buy some garlic naan. Brush with olive oil. Top with whatever you want. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.

(I was so excited to eat this--hadn't eaten all day--that I didn't even think I might want to blog this until it was too late.)

My toppings (in order):
3 cheese blend (parmesan, asiago, romano)
spinach
asparagus tips
sundried tomatoes
artichoke hearts
grilled chicken

Added for the last 5 minutes:
miniscule amount of bacon crumbles
lil more cheese

Amen.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes

This seemed like such a perfect Super Bowl Sunday dish--buffalo chicken, cheese, potatoes... *sigh*

I am disappointed with the way this recipe turned out. It had SO much potential, but I messed it all up. The boys didn't mind it too much, but I think they were just being nice. The potatoes weren't soft enough, the wing sauce (Jack Daniel's) didn't taste right, and the corn flake crumbs--I suggest using more than called for--weren't crispy. And I used Ranch dressing instead of bleu cheese because of the palates in my house, and I think I shouldn't have. I also just now realized that I left off the green onions.

Anyway, I encourage you to make this, because there is no challenge in it whatsoever and it can be SO much better than what it was.

(Jalapeno cornbread in the background, which was also a bust)

Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes

1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
6 cups frozen (thawed) southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup chopped green onions (3 to 4 medium)

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce.

In large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup. Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips in single layer over potato mixture.

In small bowl, stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle in baking dish.

Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with green onions.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Honey Jack Bacon Snack Mix

Super Bowl Sunday means snack foods, so the first recipe I decided to try was this one for Kentucky Bourbon Bacon Chex Mix; however, I didn't use bourbon or bacon. Or Chex mix.

Below is the recipe with my changes. Yes, I'll make this again. It's sweet, salty, spicy, addicting. I'm forcing myself to ignore the giant tub full, sitting on my counter. The only slight problem I have with this was the turkey bacon got a little overdone in the oven. I might not make it AS crispy next time.


Honey Jack Bacon Snack Mix

1 bag (15 oz) snack mix
1/2 lb turkey bacon (6 to 8 slices), crisply cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey whiskey
3/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Heat oven to 300°F. Line two 15x10x1-inch pans with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix snack mix and bacon. Set aside.

In 2-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly around edges. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Cool 2 minutes. Carefully stir in bourbon and chipotle chili powder. Pour over snack mixture; toss until evenly coated.

Spread snack mixture on pans. Bake 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, to caramelize mixture. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Break into pieces. Store covered in refrigerator.